ADDENDUM:

I just wanted to make some other comments that are more peripheral and atmospheric, rather than about my daily goings on. I may have mentioned some of this in other emails, but am not sure. It has rained some the last two days, but it rains hard and short. Usually it is all done within half an hour. It is nice because it cools things off and stops the bugs for a little bit. There are dogs, chickens, pigs and cats running everywhere. My favorite are the little piglets eating grass on the side of the road. When I ride home from the center of town I always pass this outdoor bingo house. I don't know what they are doing exactly, but they have one of those rotating wire globes full of balls and pull them out like in Bingo. No matter what time of day or night- or at least until past midnight- there are people sitting on the ground playing the game. I just passed and it is 10:30 p and there were 20 or so folks playing, even though it had just stormed for a while. In the description by the peace corps volunteer I read (he was here in 2001), he says that women never show their shoulders, never smoke, and have their hair in one of three ways: a long braid, two braids, or a bun. The men always have either buzzed on the side and short on top, or short all over. Today, especially at the UB40 concert, the women were showing their shoulders. Still modest by US standards, but quite a number of them were wearing halter tops. I have seen numerous women smoking. I have also seen two women being harassed by boys for it. The hair seems to remain true. All the women have long black hair and have it braided or bunned. I can't think of an exception I have seen. But the men are doing more. Afros, dreads, braids. Even one of Davida's relatives has really long hair that is bleached partly. Still 80% of the men have short cropped dos. There is western dress, lots of emenem tshirts, old navy and the like. But there is at least the equivalent number of folks wearing this braided grass wraparound skirt that is tied with a rope, usually over a cloth skirt or pants. Most everyone is very clean and crisp in both their appearance and their homes. Even though the houses need some work (broken window, paint), the yards, flowers, etc are meticulously maintained. The construction method is typical tropical- concrete block and corrugated tin roofing, slated louver windows that are always open. But there is also a traditional structure, called a Falle, that has a steep oblong rounded roof and open sides. Communal buildings of stature have this shape, as well as some backyard buildings(?).
There are very few non Tongans here, and none of what I have experienced has made me feel like the place has been corrupted by tourism. I am referring to when you go to a small town in the US and it feels like someone has replaced it with a replica of an "old small quaint town." There are things to do here that are focused on tourists, and there are resorts, but it hasn't become pervasive throughout the island. The fact that I went to that beach, and the only things along the waterfront were farms, not summer homes with "spectacular views," is telling. Foreigners can't buy land here. You can lease it for 25 years, but no buying.
The graveyards are interesting because there are solid, permanent tombstones, but also often large temporary quilts or other colorful fabric displays made for the dead. Again, the graveyards are meticulously maintained- I passed one a couple days ago and there were thirty people mowing, raking and straightening out the displays in the yard.
There also is a pro-democracy movement, spearheaded by some graffiti artist who signs stuff Ezekiel. I have heard that Tongans will always verbally praise the King and the Kingdom, but when they go to the ballot box the pro democracy candidates always win. The problem is that the people only vote for a small minority of the members of the "congress," the rest being hand picked by the King. I am afraid I won't be able to record the King laughing. He seems more remote, and since there aren't any special ceremonies coming up, he probably won't be around.
Last thing I want to mention are the smells. For some reason late in the day numerous people start fires, and the smell of smoke fills the town. It smells differently than in the US- I have passed a firewood stall and there is some type of deep red hearted wood that they were selling. Away from town you smell the palm trees, which sometimes give a faint sour smell. I haven't hit any areas of fragrant flowers, but neither have I hit any putrid sewage smells anywhere. Not even the pigs. I have seen some beautiful white flowers with four petals and long sinewy white strands that hang down- I will get a picture eventually.
OK one more thing- there is nothing poisonous here. No snakes, spiders, or ivy. So basically you can walk anywhere unafraid in the bush. There is nothing that could harm a person, no carnivours, etc.
OK end of the addendum. I have to get to sleep as I am going back out fishing at 7am, and have to figure out how I can be wakened.